soft power – Thinking about China in India

China’s post-COVID19 image problem

When democracies fail at upholding their values that might be a more consequential image problem than anything the Chinese will have to worry about.

Explaining the India-China Standoff at Doklam: Causes and Implications

‘Explaining the India-China Standoff at Doklam: Causes and Implications’, Aakrosh, Vol. 20, No. 77, October 2017, pp. 60-76. Extract: In mid-June 2017, India and China began a long standoff in the Doklam area of Bhutan that came to an end only in late August. The crisis originated when a Chinese road-building party moved into an …

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The Doklam Standoff and After: Whither India-China Relations?

What explains China’s high-decibel campaign of vilification against India in the wake of the Doklam standoff?

India-China Standoff in Bhutan: Explanation and Prognosis

It should not surprise Indian defence planners if the Chinese test and prod the Indian military by opening up road-building, patrolling and other forms of activity in areas along the disputed boundary that have hitherto remained dormant or not seen any such activity at all.

When Religion and Politics Mix: The Dalai Lama and India-China Relations

There is no real Tibet card for New Delhi to play and India ignores its own Buddhists while supporting the Dalai Lama.

China in Central Asia: Myth-making and Foreign Policy

India needs to give Ladakh greater agency in order to ensure that this region can function as its pivot to Central Asia and to challenge Chinese domination there.

China’s New Silk Roads: Reinterpreting History

The so-called ‘sound historical basis’ that Chinese commentators seem to find for the Maritime Silk Road might not be all that sound. It might just as well be called the Maritime Spice Route.

Divide and Rule: China Woos Southeast Asia

Beijing is trying to keep ASEAN a divided house over the South China Sea issue by employing a mix of diplomacy and economic engagement.

Buddhism in India’s Soft Power Quiver

Soft-power diplomacy involving Buddhism is smart politics by India and could form part of a larger ideational turn in its outreach to the world. If this is coalition-building, it is not targeted against China or the Chinese people but against authoritarianism everywhere.